Me too. But I guess we need a whistle blower to find out.
Rock slide in Fraser River, B.C., may hinder salmon passage
- Thread starter wildmanyeah
- Start date
GLG
Well-Known Member
July 17, 2019 presentation.
https://fisheriesandoceanscanada.app.box.com/s/6lj5j64wgtxn85w03y34rajs08my55m2/file/492517061802
https://fisheriesandoceanscanada.app.box.com/s/6lj5j64wgtxn85w03y34rajs08my55m2/file/492517061802
Safety work wraps, salmon saving set to start at rockslide in Fraser River
https://vancouversun.com/news/local...-river-slide-site-stops-salmon-rescue-actions
https://vancouversun.com/news/local...-river-slide-site-stops-salmon-rescue-actions
cohochinook
Well-Known Member
IronNoggin
Well-Known Member
Perspective:
islandboy
Well-Known Member
Key phrase: "Contact for your ideas If you have ideas you would like to share related to improving fish
passage or transporting fish, please send them to Karen.Calla@dfo-mpo.gc.ca
Karen will compile and relay them to the current Environmental Unit Leader"
cuttlefish
Well-Known Member
I’m having the same problem as you.
GLG
Well-Known Member
cohochinook
Well-Known Member
cohochinook
Well-Known Member
This was from Jason Hwang at PSF:
I have been sitting on the advisory team that is looking at options for dealing with the effects of the Fraser River slide near Big Bar. Almost everyone I meet has questions about what is happening with the slide, and I understand that many others are also being asked about this. I am writing to provide information that I think you may find useful and informative.
Many people are asking why nothing has been done yet. Here are some key points, with more detail below.
In the background DFO and BC have pulled together teams of experts and have been considering all options. All available resources are being prioritized to help address this issue.
There are safety issues that need to be addressed before people start working at the bottom of the slope where the rocks fell from,
We do not currently know how successful salmon are at making past the slide. It is possible that fish passage is better than we think. Accordingly, it is very possible that actions like aggressive use of explosives could make conditions worse. Fish passage monitoring is one of the priority actions that is underway.
Flow conditions will be changing very significantly over the next 4 weeks as flows decline - flows will decline to about half of what they are today by mid August. This will require ongoing evaluation and adaptation of what is needed to facilitate fish passage - what works today may not work a week or 2 later as flows drop.
At this point, the most feasible option seems to be moving the larger rocks around to try to make a fish ladder type channel on the west bank. Options to install a temporary fishway are being considered as a plan B, but at this time efforts are being focussed on the rock moving option. Rock scaling work to make the site safe is expected to conclude in the next day or so, and work to begin moving rocks to make the fish passage channel could begin within a day or so after rock scaling is completed.
The situation:
The slide was discovered around June 21 this year, but it has been determined by looking through satellite imagery that the slide occurred sometime between October 26 and November 2 last year (2018). This means that the slide blockage has persisted after the spring freshet.
The slide location is disrupting very significant salmon populations. All Fraser salmon populations upstream of the Thompson are affected. This includes major sockeye populations such as early and late Stuart, Quesnel-Horsefly, and Chilko, as well as Chinook populations including upper Fraser, Bowron, Nechako, Quesnel and Chilko.
Within a few days after the slide was detected in June, DFO had installed sonar equipment to see if salmon were able to navigate past the slide area. Stations were set up above the slide area at Churn Creek (40km up stream) and downstream of the slide area at Big Bar (3 km down stream slide)
Initial observations over 4 hours on June 28 indicated that no fish were passing, however, observations over the subsequent days detected salmon were making it past the slide area. Based on the interpretation of the sonar, the estimate was that the fish making it past were mostly medium to larger sized Chinook, although some of the images were thought to be sockeye. The estimate was about 70 - 80% of the fish detected on the sonar were Chinook, and 20 - 30% sockeye. The numbers of fish detected were fairly low – in the hundreds in the first day or 2 of July.
While it is positive to see that some salmon are making it past the slide, the numbers are low and the concern is that many salmon are not making it past the slide site. The sonar monitoring does not inform us on the number of fish holding below the obstruction, or how long they are held up before they are able to make it past.
We are about 20% into the annual Chinook migration. The Mid-Upper Fraser Chinook return was predicted to total up to 30,000-50,000 fish. Peak will be around the 3rd week of July to mid-August. Large sockeye numbers will arrive early August up to 50k to 60K/day for about 12 days.
On about July 6, the sonar equipment had to be removed due to very significant debris (trees) washing down the Fraser from the significant rainfall and flooding in the Chilcotin ( a 1:200 year flood event). This means that DFO has been unable to assess fish passage for about 10 days. The equipment was expected to be re-deployed over the next day or so.
The response:
DFO and the province are working jointly with an incident command system to manage the issue. It is positive to see DFO and BC working cooperatively.
There have been 3 teams set up. One is to address engineering solutions for the slide, the second is to evaluate salmon issues (monitoring, biological considerations) and a 3rd to bring both groups together to develop and implement the best options. PSF (Jason and Brian) has been participating advising the salmon issues team.
Every option to address the slide has been considered. The site is incredibly dangerous, with a huge volume of water moving through a confined space. The “fish cannon” or “Whoosh” system had some media profile early on, but at this point, options to install the barge the system would need to operate from do not seem feasible, and the logistics of operating the system in the conditions are also seeming unfeasible. This option is still being considered, but a viable option has not been developed so far. Other options such as blasting, dredging, etc have also been considered, with experts being consulted.
At this point, the most feasible option seems to be moving the larger rocks around to try to make a fish ladder type channel on the west bank. This would be complemented by dropping more large rock in by blasting it off the rock face in the area if required. Options to install a temporary fishway are being considered as a plan B, but at this time efforts are being focussed on the rock moving option. They are also looking at trapping and helicopter transporting fish around the slide site. This is feasible and there are plans being developed to do this, but this is hard on the fish, and it is not possible to move huge numbers of fish using this method. It will help, but is not a solution on its own.
It is important to appreciate the scale of the situation. They are looking at moving rocks that are enormous – the largest rock that can be brought in by helicopter would be tiny compared to the size of rock they are looking at moving around on-site.
They have been unable to move rock so far because the rock scaling crew have been working to complete the removal of loose rock from the face of the cliff so that it is safe to work at the bottom, and the flooding from the Chilcotin floods has raised water levels and brought down significant debris.
The rock scaling was expected to be complete around today, and the flooding effects are subsiding so the rock moving is expected to begin asap.
Many people have suggested ideas that would require helicoptering in large floating platforms – this is extremely high risk as the canyon is narrow and very deep, and winds would make it very difficult to control.
Similarly many people have suggested options that would require floating or towing barge equipment to the site. This is also not possible at the current water levels.
Current information:
>The DFO-BC Incident Command is providing daily updates. Information can be found on this website: https://www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content/...incident-summaries/big-bar-landslide-incident
I have been sitting on the advisory team that is looking at options for dealing with the effects of the Fraser River slide near Big Bar. Almost everyone I meet has questions about what is happening with the slide, and I understand that many others are also being asked about this. I am writing to provide information that I think you may find useful and informative.
Many people are asking why nothing has been done yet. Here are some key points, with more detail below.
In the background DFO and BC have pulled together teams of experts and have been considering all options. All available resources are being prioritized to help address this issue.
There are safety issues that need to be addressed before people start working at the bottom of the slope where the rocks fell from,
We do not currently know how successful salmon are at making past the slide. It is possible that fish passage is better than we think. Accordingly, it is very possible that actions like aggressive use of explosives could make conditions worse. Fish passage monitoring is one of the priority actions that is underway.
Flow conditions will be changing very significantly over the next 4 weeks as flows decline - flows will decline to about half of what they are today by mid August. This will require ongoing evaluation and adaptation of what is needed to facilitate fish passage - what works today may not work a week or 2 later as flows drop.
At this point, the most feasible option seems to be moving the larger rocks around to try to make a fish ladder type channel on the west bank. Options to install a temporary fishway are being considered as a plan B, but at this time efforts are being focussed on the rock moving option. Rock scaling work to make the site safe is expected to conclude in the next day or so, and work to begin moving rocks to make the fish passage channel could begin within a day or so after rock scaling is completed.
The situation:
The slide was discovered around June 21 this year, but it has been determined by looking through satellite imagery that the slide occurred sometime between October 26 and November 2 last year (2018). This means that the slide blockage has persisted after the spring freshet.
The slide location is disrupting very significant salmon populations. All Fraser salmon populations upstream of the Thompson are affected. This includes major sockeye populations such as early and late Stuart, Quesnel-Horsefly, and Chilko, as well as Chinook populations including upper Fraser, Bowron, Nechako, Quesnel and Chilko.
Within a few days after the slide was detected in June, DFO had installed sonar equipment to see if salmon were able to navigate past the slide area. Stations were set up above the slide area at Churn Creek (40km up stream) and downstream of the slide area at Big Bar (3 km down stream slide)
Initial observations over 4 hours on June 28 indicated that no fish were passing, however, observations over the subsequent days detected salmon were making it past the slide area. Based on the interpretation of the sonar, the estimate was that the fish making it past were mostly medium to larger sized Chinook, although some of the images were thought to be sockeye. The estimate was about 70 - 80% of the fish detected on the sonar were Chinook, and 20 - 30% sockeye. The numbers of fish detected were fairly low – in the hundreds in the first day or 2 of July.
While it is positive to see that some salmon are making it past the slide, the numbers are low and the concern is that many salmon are not making it past the slide site. The sonar monitoring does not inform us on the number of fish holding below the obstruction, or how long they are held up before they are able to make it past.
We are about 20% into the annual Chinook migration. The Mid-Upper Fraser Chinook return was predicted to total up to 30,000-50,000 fish. Peak will be around the 3rd week of July to mid-August. Large sockeye numbers will arrive early August up to 50k to 60K/day for about 12 days.
On about July 6, the sonar equipment had to be removed due to very significant debris (trees) washing down the Fraser from the significant rainfall and flooding in the Chilcotin ( a 1:200 year flood event). This means that DFO has been unable to assess fish passage for about 10 days. The equipment was expected to be re-deployed over the next day or so.
The response:
DFO and the province are working jointly with an incident command system to manage the issue. It is positive to see DFO and BC working cooperatively.
There have been 3 teams set up. One is to address engineering solutions for the slide, the second is to evaluate salmon issues (monitoring, biological considerations) and a 3rd to bring both groups together to develop and implement the best options. PSF (Jason and Brian) has been participating advising the salmon issues team.
Every option to address the slide has been considered. The site is incredibly dangerous, with a huge volume of water moving through a confined space. The “fish cannon” or “Whoosh” system had some media profile early on, but at this point, options to install the barge the system would need to operate from do not seem feasible, and the logistics of operating the system in the conditions are also seeming unfeasible. This option is still being considered, but a viable option has not been developed so far. Other options such as blasting, dredging, etc have also been considered, with experts being consulted.
At this point, the most feasible option seems to be moving the larger rocks around to try to make a fish ladder type channel on the west bank. This would be complemented by dropping more large rock in by blasting it off the rock face in the area if required. Options to install a temporary fishway are being considered as a plan B, but at this time efforts are being focussed on the rock moving option. They are also looking at trapping and helicopter transporting fish around the slide site. This is feasible and there are plans being developed to do this, but this is hard on the fish, and it is not possible to move huge numbers of fish using this method. It will help, but is not a solution on its own.
It is important to appreciate the scale of the situation. They are looking at moving rocks that are enormous – the largest rock that can be brought in by helicopter would be tiny compared to the size of rock they are looking at moving around on-site.
They have been unable to move rock so far because the rock scaling crew have been working to complete the removal of loose rock from the face of the cliff so that it is safe to work at the bottom, and the flooding from the Chilcotin floods has raised water levels and brought down significant debris.
The rock scaling was expected to be complete around today, and the flooding effects are subsiding so the rock moving is expected to begin asap.
Many people have suggested ideas that would require helicoptering in large floating platforms – this is extremely high risk as the canyon is narrow and very deep, and winds would make it very difficult to control.
Similarly many people have suggested options that would require floating or towing barge equipment to the site. This is also not possible at the current water levels.
Current information:
>The DFO-BC Incident Command is providing daily updates. Information can be found on this website: https://www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content/...incident-summaries/big-bar-landslide-incident
cuttlefish
Well-Known Member
Moving rocks, eh. Sounds to me like a Sisyphean task in that location. But here’s hoping....
cohochinook
Well-Known Member
It has been determined by looking through satellite imagery that the slide occurred sometime between October 26 and November 2, 2018. This means that the slide blockage has been present for over 6 months before Department of Fisheries and Oceans was aware of it! If proper monitoring had been in place, it could have been worked on long before the return of Chinook and Sockeye salmon this spring and in low water conditions.
That is exactly what needs to be explained. How does half of a huge hillside calf off and never gets noticed for six months. Penny wise and pound foolish but we just get crickets on that question.
Oh, I just thought of something. Maybe it's because there is an election coming up in a couple of months. Trudeau doesn't want to apologize for yet another screw up. I wonder if this was in Ontario or Quebec if he would have sluffed it off for six months. Wonder when he will fly in for his own photo op. The CBC video from today is interesting because its from the other side of the river which is not that remote and has a clear view of the waterfall.
GLG
Well-Known Member
July 19, 2019 Big Bar Landslide update.
https://news.gov.bc.ca/files/Big Bar Landslide Incident Update- July 19, 2019.pdf
July 19, 2019 Fish Monitoring Information Bulletin
https://news.gov.bc.ca/files/Fish Monitoring Information Bulletin.pdf
https://news.gov.bc.ca/files/Big Bar Landslide Incident Update- July 19, 2019.pdf
July 19, 2019 Fish Monitoring Information Bulletin
https://news.gov.bc.ca/files/Fish Monitoring Information Bulletin.pdf
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